


By the milk-light of moon

by sleepcalls (orphan_account)



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon), 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Apollo is 16, Klapollo in the second chapter, M/M, Mentions of Phoenix - Freeform, Other, Trucy is 9, blatant minor klapollo, over the garden wall au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-08-30 15:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8538655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sleepcalls
Summary: "He had told his neighbor that, yes, he took nightly walks and knew his way around the neighborhood, and yes, he’d take his daughter out trick or treating. His neighbor didn’t know that was all a lie."Apollo takes Trucy out for halloween. They get horribly, horribly lost





	1. Lead through the mist

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!

 

A cool misty breeze pushed fallen red and orange leaves across wet gravel. The steady crunch below Apollo’s feet only reminded him of how horribly, horribly lost they were. He had told his neighbor that, yes, he took nightly walks and knew his way around the neighborhood, and yes, he’d take his daughter out trick or treating. His neighbor didn’t know that was all a lie. The sixteen year old boy kept a lead on the younger girl as she stumbled behind him. Their feet crushed the gravel underfoot with an offbeat waltz, a cacophony of footsteps that lead him to believe they were heading in the wrong direction. The surrounding trees loomed deep emerald and dark brown, masking what could be lying in the forest around them. Mr. Wright was going to kill him.

“Hey Mister Apollo, where are we?” The nine year old asked, hurrying forward to latch onto his sleeve. He slowed down for her smaller gait, biting his lip, and rubbing his hand across his lucky bracelet.

“Don’t tell your dad Trucy, but I think we’re lost. We need to get home.” Apollo admitted, looking to the sky. It was too foggy for him to find the north star, but he wasn’t about to admit that. Not that he knew how to navigate back from the stars. Trucy frowned, grabbing his hand. He sighed. “I know. I know.” They got a fet feet further before he bothered speaking again. “We’re going to be fine.” He flashed her a reassuring smile. “My friend used to do this thing to cheer himself up, it went, My name is Apollo Justice, and I’m fine!” Apollo shouted suddenly, the caw of crows resounding as a few flew from the trees. Trucy looked even smaller than before, but nodded.

“My name is Trucy Wright, and I’m fine!” She repeated. Paused, and repeated again, and giggled. Apollo managed to crack a smile, wiping some of the rain from his face. It was only drizzling, but that didn’t make it any less irritating. The breeze was starting to get colder, more damp. It was chilling him to the bone. “I hope we get home soon.” Trucy commented, glancing up and blinking the water away from her eyes. She pulled her hand from Apollo’s, only so she could wrap her arms around herself. The little girl had been a magician for Halloween, dressed in a costume hand-made by her father, the actor.

“Me too.” Apollo muttered, pulling his costume jacket tightly around himself. “How impolite of me, a gentleman pirate should always offer his jacket to a lady. Are you cold, miss?” He asked, looking down to the child. Trucy giggled

“I’m fine Mister Apollo! Don’t worry about me, I love the rain!” Apollo smiled at her remark. She was something else. Strong and eloquent. He was sure she’d make it far one day.

 

\--

 

They continued on the path, and the gentle drizzle did not relent. It seemed like the path never ended, like they weren’t getting any closer to home. The gravel’s whispers only seemed to confirm his fears. Trucy had started shivering.

“Take my jacket.” Apollo insisted, pulling the pirate jacket from his shoulders and wrapping it around Trucy. She gratefully accepted it, but still gave him a look of concern.

“Are you going to be okay, Mister Apollo?” She asked, before tripping and falling. Apollo made sure she was alright, picking her up and dusting her off. She was tearing up a little bit.

“Are you okay?” Apollo asked, giving her a once over for damage.

“I scraped my hands a bit, but I’m okay.” She concluded. He nodded, standing from his crouch. She began to lead this time, pulling him along.

 

He may have been cold, but he could handle it. She could not. She was going to get sick already. They kept walking yet, with no help in sight, it was beginning to seem like a hopeless endeavor. Apollo breathed a shaky breath, steam rising from his mouth. At this rate, The cold would get dangerous. At least, he was going to catch a cold. The thoughts of hypothermia and even death kept poking at him, and he shuddered. Sometimes thoughts wouldn’t leave his head.

“Are you sure you don’t want your jacket back, Mister Apollo? You look cold.”

“I’m doing just fine, Trucy. Thank you.” He flashed her a forced smile, and turned his attention back to the path. In the distance, a man with a lantern, a hawk on his shoulder, and a surprisingly chipper walk passed by. Apollo perked up a little bit. “Hello!” He shouted. Waving an arm above his head.

“Hey!” Trucy shouted in tandem. The pair kept shouting and waving their arms until the man took notice. He stopped in his path, and gave them a friendly wave. The pair started to approach, slowly, and then very quickly. Apollo had to stop to catch his breath before speaking.

“We’ve been out here for a few hours, We’re terribly lost. Is there a town near here? Anything?” He pleaded, still struggling with his breath. He coughed a few times into his sleeve.

“There’s a town about a day’s walk to the south.” The man smiled. He was dressed in white, the bird perched on his shoulder majestically.  Perhaps he just liked the quiet, and lived out here, Apollo assumed. It would be odd if he was out here for any other reason. He started to speak again. “But my house is just that way. Would you like to stay the night?”

“Ah, that’s alright, we really have to get home. Do you know where the town of Juapan is?” He asked, giving the man a once over. It was sort of suspicious. Apollo had heard plenty a horror story about going into strangers homes.

“My daddy is gonna be worried if we don’t get back soon!” Trucy smiled.

“Oh, I do, but it’s quite a ways from here. Come, stay the night.” He kept smiling, an odd grin. Apollo stood for a moment, deliberating. If he went, he and Trucy could be in real danger. If they didn’t go, they’d freeze.

“Okay, alright, we’ll come. Thank you, uh, I didn’t catch your name.”

“The name is Fulbright! Bobby Fulbright.” The man extended a gloved hand for Apollo to shake, and he did. The man gave extraordinarily powerful handshakes. “How rude of me. This lovely lady is Taka.” He moved to scratch under the bird’s chin, but the bird snapped its head away.

“I’m Apollo, and this is Trucy.” The man had already begun to walk away. Apollo gave Trucy a confused look, but lead her to follow nonetheless.

 

The man’s house was big, made of stone and wood, and was covered in crawling vines. A watermill slapped gently against the river beside the house. There was a pathway up, and roses growing all along it. It seemed pleasant enough. They were absolutely going to get murdered. His second thoughts kept kicking him in the mental shins. Apollo reached for Trucy’s hand and squeezed it, trying to give her a reassuring look. She nodded solemnly, and held her head up high, like she had to be the brave one. Apollo was slightly offended. He was trying to make sure she was okay.

The gravel made way to the damp stone path, then up to the front porch. Bobby climbed the steps up, but Apollo hesitated. The man gave him a gentle look, and he sighed, stepping on the wooden porch. The man let them in with a smile. He seemed friendly enough, and why would he just invite them in like this? He had to have good intentions.

“I’m just about to make dinner. What do you two like to eat?” Apollo bit his lip, pressing his finger to his forehead in thought.

“Tacos!” Trucy said, bouncing up and down.

“How do mashed potatoes and beef tips sound?” Bobby offered. His bird flew up to a perch, preening itself.

“Tasty.” Trucy concluded. Apollo nodded.

“Sounds delicious.”

“Then that settles it!” Bobby smiled, humming a tune as he headed back to the kitchen. Trucy plopped herself onto one of the big plush seats in the room. A fire was roaring, crackling with arrhythmic pops. The chairs were big and red, and they almost seemed to swallow Trucy. The room was beautiful and homey, Apollo would admit. He’d even consider living in a place like this, one day. There was a cabinet with fine china in it, detailed with children playing. One was left blank. Apollo couldn’t help but wonder why. He spent a few moments perusing the art, blue on white drawings of playgrounds and kites. Soon after, Apollo followed Trucy’s suit and sat down too, waiting for the man to return. He didn’t feel too safe exploring more without permission.

“Psst” A stage whisper came from seemingly no-where.

“Huh?” Apollo’s brow furrowed. Trucy gave him a look that might make him think he was insane.

“Hey, kid!” The hawk flew down and perched on Apollo’s knee. “Don’t freak out kid, I’m just here to give you advice.” The bird cocked its head at him.

“Taka?” He asked

“Shh, shh.” The bird commanded. “And that’s not my name. It’s Blackquill, Simon Blackquill. I’m cursed, it’s a long story. You have to get out of here, this guy is insane! Trust me, you two have to run. You just have to head up the river. Trust me, You’ll be fine, but only if you leave right now. Got that kid?” Apollo nodded, mouth hanging open. “Good. Now leave.” Apollo shook his head.

“We have to dry off. We’ll catch hypothermia.”

“Ooh, We’ll catch hypothermia. Do you want to suffer forever?”

“What?”

“Eternal suffering, kid.” Trucy was taken aback.

“No?”

“Then leave!” The bird hissed before glancing to the back corridor. Apollo heard the footsteps. “You poor kid. Enjoy dinner.” And with that, He flew back up to the perch.

“Dinner is served! Come back to the dining hall!” Bobby smiled, now wearing an old apron. Apollo and Trucy stood quietly, and the pair followed him back. It was a little odd, sure, but food was food, and not something Apollo would turn down. He had opted to ignore the fact a bird had just talked to him and told him to leave, but the message still floated in the back of his mind.

Bobby lead them to a beautiful dining room, with enough seats for triple their number. The walls were white, draped with red curtains. Underfoot, hardwood creaked.

“Do you get many guests, Mister Fullbright?”

“No, no, I wish I did.” The man smiled, somehow balancing the three china plates. He set them all down on one end, pulled out a seat and gestured, which Trucy graciously took. Apollo sat across from her, with Bobby between them.

“So what are you kids doing this far out into the forest?” Bobby asked, innocently enough.

“I was taking Trucy here trick or treating, but we got lost.”

“Yeah! Silly Apollo.”

“Well that’s a shame. I hope you two will find your way back tomorrow.” He commented, eating a spoonful of fluffy mashed potatoes. Apollo took a bite himself, and couldn’t help but make a noise of pleasure. They were delicious and creamy, the beef tips just fell apart in his mouth, and the gravy was to die for. Trucy loudly exclaimed that it was delicious, before digging in. “I’m glad you two like it.” Bobby smiled.

“Thank you, sir.” Apollo said through a mouthful. He swallowed. “We’d have hypothermia by now if it wasn’t for you.”

“My pleasure.” Bobby smiled. “Like I said, I don’t get many visitors.”

“That’s awful, you cook so well! You should open a restaurant!” Trucy grinned.

“Why thank you!” Bobby grinned in response. “There are seconds in the kitchen, you can help yourselves.”

“Thank you!” Trucy smiled, standing with her empty plate to get more. Apollo scraped his spoon across the bottom of the plate, revealing part of an image. He ate every last bite, revealing three kids, preparing to hang themselves. He frowned as he got up to get more. That was appetite ruining, to say the least.

“Sir, where will Trucy and I be sleeping?” He asked, now standing in the doorway.

“The guest room! Third door on the right, upstairs!” The man exclaimed, standing himself. “If you’ve finished eating, just put your plate in the sink and head on upstairs.”

“Sure thing, sir. Thank you again.”

“My pleasure.” If the man wasn’t so friendly, Apollo could have read that as sinister. He shrugged it off, putting his plate in the sink and heading upstairs.

 

The bed was large, enough room for the two to sleep comfortably. Apollo asked Trucy if she had an opinion, and she said she didn’t mind if he slept in the bed too. The two went to sleep then, the soft sheets providing a comfort that one usually only finds at home. Apollo still failed to sleep, staring into the dark of the room, wondering about Blackquill’s warning. He dozed for a long while, until the door creaking open woke him. There was no sinister silhouette, no dark figure there to kill them. Rather, the bird hopped into the room.

“Blackquill?” Apollo whispered.

“Now’s your chance! Bobby just left for work, you two have to get out!” He hissed, looking over his shoulder. “I have to go in just a second, but leave!” Apollo shrugged as the bird left, falling back asleep. He didn’t regret not listening. He was still exhausted.

 

They had slept in past noon, and hadn’t woken by three. Eventually, Apollo stirred, his mouth feeling grosser than usual. He frowned and groaned as he got up. He assumed Fulbright wasn’t home yet, as the sun was still up and it had long passed when he had met him yesterday. He woke up Trucy with a shake. She groaned, her hair ruffled everywhere. She sat up, rubbing at the sleep in her eyes.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Apollo smiled. Trucy smiled back. “Want to see what there is to eat?” She nodded, and got out of bed. Together they went downstairs, slipping into the kitchen. It was big and white, with old fashioned wood stoves and a retro refrigerator. Apollo pulled it open, digging through before pulling a carton of eggs. He quirked his brow at Trucy, who nodded in response. She was still half-asleep. Apollo dug through the pantries for a pan. He eventually found one, and set it up to heat up. There was a note on the counter.

 

_“Feel free to find something to eat for breakfast and lunch. -Fulbright”_

 

Apollo threw the paper out, returning to the pan. He cracked two eggs easily, and prepared them, occasionally poking the yolk to see how done it was. He handed Trucy a plate with the egg and plated his own, sitting on the kitchen floor to eat. He smiled as Trucy’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“This is really good!” She exclaimed.

“Thank you. I’ve been making them for a few years now, I’d hope they were good.” Apollo responded. Trucy ate the whole thing in a flash, grinning. Apollo ate slower, enjoying and savoring the egg. When he had finished, he offered to wash the plates. Trucy went to the front room while he worked,and he noted more disturbing designs. This time, one plate had a pair being swallowed into trees. The other displayed a pair of twins as puppets for some sort of demon. He tried so hard to shrug it off, but he couldn’t. He went to the living room.

“Trucy, get your shoes. We’re leaving.”


	2. By the milk-light of moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They need directions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This chapter is a little short, but hopefully the next chapter will be longer!

“Where are we going to go, Apollo?” Trucy said, bounding along beside him. “Why aren’t we waiting for Mister Fulbright to get home?” Apollo gritted his teeth, keeping his eyes glued to the path. Mr. Wright was probably so worried about them. They had to get to the next town over, so they could bus home.

“We’re going to the closest town.” He took a deep breath, trying to quell the anxiety in his chest. “He rubbed me the wrong way Truce. We left to be safe.” He said, staying on the path. Somewhere, a dog howled in pain, and Apollo took a step closer to Trucy. To make sure she wasn’t scared, he told himself. She nodded to his response, staying next to Apollo.

“We’ll be safe, right?”

“I’ll make sure of it.” He nodded, keeping his eyes to the path ahead. 

 

It took them almost half a day to even be able to see the town. Apollo pointed at it, and Trucy smiled. The pair had been walking in silence for some time now. Trucy was the one to speak up.

“We’re almost there!” She exclaimed, bounding for a few steps. Apollo nodded, looking to the path ahead. It seemed to wind, but a sign to the side said not to exit the path. Apollo bit his lip, staring for a moment. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice calling out.

“Kid! Help me!” The voice called. It was distinctly feminine, and it sounded strained. Trucy immediately exited the path, running in the direction of the voice. Apollo ran after her, calling out a short ‘hey wait!’. Trucy didn’t bother, digging into the underbrush. She was greeted with the sight of a dog with it’s leg tangled in a bundle of thorns. She gasped, kneeling down. Apollo eventually caught up, finding Trucy pulling a dog from the brush. It was a red irish setter, a little smaller than full grown. Apollo quirked a brow. He’d already met one talking animal, and if this one talked too, he was going to scream. 

“Thank you!” The dog said, jumping around Trucy excitedly. Trucy giggled, clapping her hands. Apollo made a noise of distress. Animals shouldn’t be able to talk, he thought.

“Good job me!” Trucy congratulated. The dog stopped running long enough to look at the two kids.

“What are your names?” She asked, tilting her head. Apollo introduced them, and she nodded, surprisingly well for a dog.

“I’m Athena, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Her tail had to be wagging a mile a minute. “Now I owe you two a favor, since you saved me.”

“Like a wish?” Trucy gasped. Athena shook her head.

“No, silly, like a favor favor.” She said with a laugh. “What do you two need, anyway? Why are you in the woods?” Apollo took the opportunity to speak up.

“Well, We’re lost. We’re trying to find our way back home.” He said, looking up. “We haven’t been able to even get to the next town, but a man tried to help us. He was a little… odd.” Apollo concluded, looking back to the dog. She was sitting now, head tilted to one side.

“Well, that’s sad.” She said, frowning. “What do you say I take you to Kristoph, man of the meadows?” She looked him in the eye, her tail wagging.

“Who’s that?” Apollo asked, brows furrowing. 

“He’s a magician. He’ll be able to help you get home!” She grinned, which for a dog, was a little odd. 

“I- We’d really appreciate it.” Apollo said, looking to Trucy. She nodded vigorously.

“My daddy is probably really worried!” Trucy said with a frown. She grabbed onto Apollo’s hand. Apollo squeezed it reassuringly. She gave a soft smile, before shouting, “I’m Trucy Wright and I’m Fine!” Apollo laughed, as did Athena. It was sweeter than one would expect a dog’s laugh to be. It was a pleasant moment in the midst of unfortunate events. Apollo glanced back to the path.

“Hey, we should probably, uh.” He motioned to the path, looking back to the two. Trucy nodded, pulling him over to the path. Athena followed at their heels.

“It’s that way.” She motioned with her nose. Apollo walked where she had pointed, back towards the town. 

They continued along the path for some time as the sun began to droop in the sky. The three walked in a comfortable silence, the silence occasionally halted by a question. Athena seemed kind enough, and but Apollo still wasn’t sure they should trust her. Trucy seemed to like her though, and would occasionally scratch behind the dog’s ears. Athena seemed to enjoy it, however begrudgingly. Eventually, they could see the town a yard or so in front of them.

“How can you talk, anyway?” Apollo asked. Athena frowned, clearly offended.

“The same way you can, dingus.” She snarked, almost growled, trotting along. A moment passed before she sighed. “I’m cursed. I’m actually a human, but I was turned into a dog.” She admitted, her tail between her legs. 

“That sounds horrible! Who could do such a thing?” Trucy gasped.

“I wonder if the same thing happened to that bird.” Apollo started, thinking back to the earlier warnings. Athena shrugged, somehow.

“Was his name Simon? If he was, then yes.” She nodded. “He was cursed by the same witch I was cursed by.” She frowned. “Can we change the subject?”

“Yeah.” Apollo nodded. He picked at his nails, trying to think of something else to say.

“Do you want to see a magic trick?” Trucy asked. Athena nodded, her frown turning into a smile. Trucy grinned. “Ready? 1, 2, 3, We’re at the town!” Trucy announced, gesturing forward. Apollo laughed as they passed through the town’s stone arch. It was old, and had moss growing all over it. Apollo shrugged it off, though was a bit confused to find horse stables. They were nowhere near the outskirts, right? That was nearly a 45 minute drive, they couldn’t have walked. Trucy seemed just as confused, though excited about meeting Athena. 

“This doesn’t seem right. Where are we?” Apollo asked. The town seemed emptier than it should have been for it’s size. The buildings were all made of stone, with thatched shingled roofs. The road turned from gravel to dirt gradually under their feet, until Apollo was merely kicking pebbles across dust. The road was covered in what seemed to be wheel tracks from horse drawn carriages. The anachrony was concerning Apollo a bit.

“This is Woodsdale, why?” Athena asked, trotting alongside Trucy. Apollo had never heard of Woodsdale, how lost were they?

“No reason.” He murmured, and kept walking. It didn’t take long to find the people of the town. They were all holed up in a bar of sorts. The door was wide open, there were several horses tied outside, and music from a piano floated through the air. Athena perked up a bit.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea, why don’t you ask for directions to Kristoph’s? I’m a little lost myself, but maybe they’ll know!” Apollo nodded, considering Athena’s proposition. 

“It doesn’t seem like we’ve got much of a choice.” He concluded. “Stay out here, I don’t think the patrons will be happy with a dog wandering in.” He said, motioning to the people inside. Athena huffed, opting to sit with some of the horses. Trucy waved at the horses, and they ignored her. She seemed a little disheartened by this, but followed Apollo inside anyway.

 

The inside was warm, the sounds of laughter and talking and clinking cutlery giving off a homey vibe. The tables and chairs were all made of wood, as was the floor. A young blonde girl was the one tickling the ivories, and she was skilled. The conversation seemed to lull as the pair entered, everyone in the establishment turning to the two. The piano player stopped, looking back. It became apparent to Apollo that the piano player was actually a boy, roughly his age. He felt under sudden scrutiny. The bartender stopped cleaning the bar off mid-wipe.

“Who are you?” The piano player called.

“Uh, my name is Apollo, and this is Trucy.” Apollo called back, glancing to the piano player.

“Nice to meet you.” The piano player stood, and the rest of the patrons went back to chatting idly, the barkeep continuing his circular cleaning motions. The piano player walked to the door, offering his hand. “I’m Klavier.” He smiled, and Apollo shook his hand. “What brings you here?” He asked then, glancing to Trucy, and shaking her hand as well.

“Well, we’re kind of lost, and we’re looking for directions.” He began to ramble. “See, it was halloween, and we wandered away from where we were familiar with, and her father is probably really worried, and we need to get back, and-” Klavier held his hand up to stop Apollo.

“Slow down, you’re cute, but I didn’t get any of that.” Klavier stated. Trucy giggled, and Apollo turned a bright shade of red.

“What?” He asked, moving his arms across his chest.

“I said you talk too fast.” Klav smirked.

“No, the other bit.” Apollo mumbled.

“Oh, that you’re cute? Yeah, you might be lost, but I got lost in your eyes.” Klavier threw Apollo a wink, fiddling with a ring on his middle finger, betraying his confidence. Apollo wasn’t sure he was able to turn any redder, but he was convinced he had. His bracelet, a gift from his mother, wasn’t reacting at all. This boy was telling the truth.

“Apollo, he thinks you’re cute!” Trucy giggled, covering her mouth to hide her grin. Klavier flashed her a grin. “Say something smooth back!” She said, still giggling. Apollo shot her a glare. She was nine, what was her dad letting her watch?

“Uh, thank you.” He mumbled, still embarrassed.

“Did I make you uncomfortable? My apologies.” Klavier apologized, twirling the end of his long hair nervously. 

“No, no it’s okay.” Apollo said, rather loudly. A few of the patrons turned to look, but otherwise ignored the situation. Klavier seemed a little taken aback, but otherwise fine. “I just wasn’t expecting that, was all.”

“Ach, well, sorry, still. You were saying something about needing directions?” He smiled softly, then, and Apollo could feel his heartbeat in his chest. Somehow, this boy had stolen his heart in a matter of seconds. “Let’s sit down, ja? You can tell me your story, and I’ll see what I can do to help.” He moved to a free table, and the lost pair followed, sitting down. Apollo and Trucy recounted their adventures thus far, from meeting Athena to the talking bird. Klavier listened intently, nodding every so often.

“That is unfortunate,” He said when Apollo and Trucy finished. “And where are you looking to go?” Trucy responded before Apollo could.

“We’re looking for Kristoph, Man of the Meadows!” She exclaimed. “Athena says he might be able to help us get back. Do you know where he lives?” She watched Klavier for a reaction. He frowned, gritting his teeth. Apollo furrowed his brow. That was a negative reaction, if he’d ever seen one.

“Is something wrong?” Apollo asked, and Klavier was quick to fake a smile. Apollo’s bracelet immediately pinched at his wrist.

“He’s my brother, that’s all. I wonder why she thought he could help you. He is just a man, after all.” Klavier was still forcing a grin, even if it was convincing, Apollo could tell he was lying. “Just be careful around him, Ja?” He said, his face growing somber. “He’s a witch, you don’t want to be on his bad side.” Apollo and Trucy both nodded, keeping each of their eyes on him. Trucy smiled then.

“I’m a witch too! Want to see a magic trick?” Klavier laughed nervously.

“You might not want to say that so loud, witches aren’t exactly all that welcome around here.” He said, quietly. 

“Well, I’m not a real witch.” Trucy frowned. “Do you want to see a magic trick or not?”

“Of course.” Klavier chuckled, watching as Trucy produced a rose from her hat. She presented it to him with a flourish, before whispering,

“You should give it to Apollo, he’ll turn bright red again.” She snickered. Klavier grinned, and Apollo gave her a look that could only be read as irritation. Klavier took the rose, and feigning confidence, grinned.

“For the most beautiful boy in the room.” He said, handing the rose off to Apollo. Apollo, without fail, turned bright red again, but accepted the rose anyway.

“Back into my hat with ye!!” Trucy said, plucking the rose from Apollo and depositing it in her hat again, before setting the hat on her head. Klavier laughed, applauding. Apollo couldn’t help but laugh too, though significantly more nervous. Trucy took a small bow in her chair. 

“Now, as payment, I will require directions!” She announced, and Klavier laughed, Apollo’s bracelet pinching again.

“Okay, it’s like this, Ja?” Klavier said, before explaining the way to Kristoph’s house, using a piece of scratch paper from his pocket. There was sheet music on the back, Apollo noted, but Klavier didn’t seem to mind. 

“And that’s how you get there.” Klavier concluded. Apollo and Trucy stood up.

“Thank you, Mister Klavier!” Trucy smiled. Klavier nodded.

“Of course.” He said, standing up. “Anything for the amazing magician and her cute brother.” Klavier threw another wink at Apollo. Apollo blushed, squeezing his wrist nervously. Trucy giggled again, before turning to leave.

“Bye, mister Klavier!” She said over her shoulder. Apollo turned to follow, but turned back around as Klavier called his name.

“Wait, Apollo!” Klavier practically shouted, looking at him nervously. He approached Apollo, putting his hands on Apollo’s shoulders. Apollo flushed, avoiding Klavier’s eyes. Klavier leaned close, next to Apollo’s ear, and whispered “Stay safe, Okay?” before pressing a kiss to his cheek and running back over to the piano. Athena and Trucy were in the doorway, both looking like they were about to burst. Apollo put his hand to his cheek as he turned to leave, still bright red.


End file.
